One Heart
by Kristen3
Summary: An AU take on the events during/after "The Proposal." What if N/D's wedding had been a bit more traditional? Author's Note inside explains more! Please R&R!
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**This is a slightly AU take on the events during/after "The Proposal." I always wondered what it would've been like if N/D had an actual wedding, rather than the elopement in Reno. So I thought it might be fun to write it. It starts out just after the end of "The Proposal," except in this version, Daphne is not sick. Thanks to Leigh Ann and Andrea for their support of this story, and I hope everyone likes it! Please R&R! Thanks! :)

Niles and Daphne sat near the fireplace, in each other's arms. "You've made me the happiest man in the world," Niles said, kissing her.

Daphne sighed contentedly. "I think I could stay right here forever."

"My love, there will be plenty of time for that, but I think we should go over to Frasier's now, and tell him and Dad the good news."

Daphne smiled. "All right. I know it's a bit old-fashioned, but I think I like the idea of having a husband take care of me for the rest of me life."

Niles kissed her one more time. "I promise you, I'll do my very best to take care of you, no matter what." He stood up. "Now come on," he said, offering a hand to help her up. "Frasier and Dad are probably dying to know what happened."

Daphne took his hand and stood. This was the most exciting night of her life so far. After all the obstacles with Maris and Mel, they were finally ready to join their lives to become husband and wife.

A few minutes later, Niles rang the doorbell at Frasier's apartment. He and Daphne held hands as they waited for the door to be opened. He could not take his eyes off of her, amazed that this angel that he'd loved for so many years had finally agreed to be his wife.

When Frasier opened the door, Niles merely beamed at his older brother. "She said yes!"

Immediately Frasier pulled Daphne into a huge hug, nearly knocking the wind out of her. He kissed her cheek before finally letting her go. "Welcome to the family, Daphne." He smiled. "Well, I mean, you were family before, but now it's for real."

Daphne smiled at him and kissed his cheek. "Thank you, Frasier. I couldn't be happier."

"I'm glad," Frasier replied. "You both deserve it."

Martin walked over. "Congratulations, son." He shook Niles' hand and hugged him, a rare display of affection. The gesture overwhelmed Niles.

"Thanks, Dad," Niles said, still beaming.

"Daph," Martin said, hugging her as well.

"Oh, Mr. Crane!" Daphne said, now near tears.

"No more of that 'Mr. Crane' business!" Martin said immediately. "We're family now. Call me Martin." He saw her hesitate. "I mean it!"

"Oh, Mr. Crane!" Daphne sobbed again, throwing her arms around him. Martin rolled his eyes.

"So," Frasier said. "Have you guys thought about a date yet? Or what kind of wedding you'd like to have?"

Immdiately Daphne looked lovingly over at her new fiance. "We'd like to have something small," she said.

"My love, are you sure?" Niles asked. "This is the only wedding we'll ever have."

"Darling, I don't care about fancy preparations, or expensive decorations. All I want is a simple ceremony, surrounded by the people we love. Besides, I already went through of all of that once, and it didn't turn out too well."

Niles kissed her. "All right, my love. As long as you're sure."

"I'm sure," Daphne said.

"Well, now that that's settled, how about a date?" Frasier asked.

"How about two weeks from Saturday?" Niles asked. "With all our connections, it shouldn't be too hard to pull everything together by then."

"Two weeks it is, then!" Frasier said, excited at the prospect of planning his little brother's wedding. "I believe I have a bottle of champagne on hand, and I think it's about time we opened it!"

Niles nodded eagerly. He, Daphne, and Martin sat around the small kitchen table. Glasses of champagne were quickly poured for both the Crane boys and Daphne. Martin, of course, stuck with his tried-and-true beer.

"So, Daphne," Frasier said, taking a sip of his expensive champagne, "What about flowers? And don't forget, you need to pick out a dress, and -"

Daphne could see what was happening. Once again, Frasier was going to take over the planning of this whole thing. She loved her soon-to-be brother-in-law, of course, but she knew that her ideas for a simple wedding could easily fly right out the window if she let them. "Frasier, please...can we discuss all of that later?" Daphne gave a knowing look in Niles' direction.

Seeing the look on his new fiancee's face, Niles could tell Frasier was already trying her patience. He looked at his watch. "Dad, Frasier, thank you both so much for all of the congratulations, and of course the champagne. But if you don't mind, I think Daphne and I would like to head back to the Montana and continue this celebration, just the two of us."

"That sounds lovely," Daphne said, smiling mischeviously.

"Oh, well...all right," Frasier said, disappointed. "But we really do need to get started on some of these details soon. We can't leave all of this to the last moment!"

"We won't," Niles said. "See you tomorrow!" With that, he took Daphne by the hand and quickly led her back out to the elevator before Frasier could object.


	2. Chapter 2

The next day, Daphne awoke with a smile. "Morning," she said, kissing Niles. "Last night was lovely."

"You mean at Frasier's, or..."

"Both," Daphne said with a grin. "I'd love to just stay here in your arms all day, but I'd better go check on your father. He probably thinks now that I'm engaged, I'll go easy on him."

"Then Dad obviously doesn't know you very well," Niles said, kissing her.

"I just hope your brother doesn't drive us both bloody crazy with this wedding." The mere thought made her cringe.

"Frasier does tend to go overboard with these things, but don't let him talk you into anything. I want you to have the wedding of your dreams, my love," Niles said, kissing her again.

Daphne sighed contentedly, smiling. "Just one more reason for me to love you."

"Well, it's only fair, since you've already made all my dreams come true, just by saying you'll marry me."

"If you keep saying things like that to me, I'll never want to leave." She sat up. "If I don't get over to your brother's soon, your father will probably have beer for breakfast."

"I should get going, too," Niles said, looking at the clock. "I've got patients this morning. But I'll be counting the hours till we're together again, my love."

Daphne smiled and kissed him one more time. "I love you," she said, before finally getting out of bed to begin her day.

Daphne took out her key and let herself into Frasier's apartment. Though she loved living at the Motnana, waking up each day in Niles' arms, it was still strange to not call apartment 1901 her home anymore. The door opened. "Freeze, old man!"

Martin jumped at the sudden noise. The beer can he'd been about to open nearly fell to the floor. "Uh, Daph, I didn't expect you so early! Figured you'd want to sleep in today."

"Yeah, well, I don't intend to stop doing me job just because I'm engaged! Let me fix you a real breakfast, and then we'll go for our walk."

Martin let out a sigh that sounded more like a whine.

Half an hour later, Daphne had managed to feed Martin and drag him and Eddie out of the apartment. They made their way down the street, headed toward Nervosa. Though Martin had been a rotten mood at first, Daphne sensed that he'd loosened up a bit after breakfast. There was something she'd been thinking about since last night, but she wasn't quite sure how to bring it up. Martin wasn't one to talk about his feelings, especially not to her. Luckily, Daphne was now an expert in how to handle him. If he had something on his mind, he usually mentioned it during a walk or his excercises. She knew that a distraction helped ease his nervousness when it came to discussing his feelings. "Mr. Crane, can I ask you a question?"

Martin looked her in the eye. She knew he was telling her to stop calling him that. But she just couldn't. And that was making what she had to ask even more difficult. She smiled, hoping it would get her over the awkwardness. "It's about the wedding," she explained.

"Look, if you don't want Fras running the whole show, just tell him that. Daphne, this is _your _wedding - and Niles," Martin said immediately.

"Niles told me the same thing this morning. But that wasn't what I wanted to ask about. Y-you see, this wedding's on awfully short notice. I don't think me mum and dad will be able to make the trip." Daphne wiped a stray tear from her eye. She'd told herself that it didn't matter if her parents supported this marriage or not. But clearly, it matterd more than she thought. She took a deep breath, praying she could say what she needed to say. "I don't have any family here in Seattle...so I was wondering if you'd be willing to walk me down the aisle. If it weren't for you and Frasier, Niles and I would never have met!"

Martin looked at her. He'd always loved Daphne like a daughter. And there was so much of Hester in her, too. After all Niles had been through with women, he'd finally found someone who could make him happy. So how could he not say yes? "Sure."

"Thank you!" Daphne threw her arms around him, not even caring about the people around them.

"You're welcome. But there's one condition," Martin said. "You've got to stop calling me 'Mr. Crane.' We're going to be family now, Daph."

"All right,...Martin," Daphne said, squeezing his hand. "That's going to take some getting used to. But I think I can handle it." She smiled at him, then continued walking down the street, as though nothing had happened.


	3. Chapter 3

That night, Niles and Daphne prepared to go to bed. "So, how was your day with Dad?" Niles asked.

Daphne shrugged. "The usual. I showed up just in time to stop him from opening a beer."

Niles laughed. "He's lucky to have you looking after him. Come to think of it, so am I." He kissed her.

Daphne smiled, reaching over to touch his cheek. "Thank you," she said. "I also...asked your father to walk me down the aisle. Since I don't think me mum and dad will come on such short notice."

"Oh, Daphne," Niles said, taking her in his arms. "I'm so sorry. We can postpone it if you like. I know you'd like to have your parents here."

Daphne hugged him, resting her head on his chest. "It's all right. I can't really blame me mum. Not after what I put her through with my last wedding. Almost-wedding, I mean."

Niles lifted her chin. "Are you sure?"

"Yes," Daphne said. "All that matters is that I love you, and I want to spend the rest of me life with you."

Niles sighed and continued to hold her, knowing he would never get over the feeling of having her in his arms.

The next morning, Niles sat in his office, grateful for this break between appointments. Normally, if he had free time during the day, he would catch up on paperwork, or occaisonally meet Frasier for coffee at Nervosa. Sometimes he ran errands for Daphne, or else he just drove around, needing to clear his mind after spending so much time listening to other people's problems. But today, he couldn't do any of those things. And the reason was obvious: his mind was on Daphne.

There was nothing new in this, of course. He'd spent the better part of the past nine years thinking about her. But right now, he was thinking about what she'd told him last night about her parents being unable to come. Though she'd said it didn't matter to her, he knew that, deep down, it did matter. With everything in him, Niles wanted to make Daphne happy.

_There has to be _something_ I can do_, he thought. He considered calling her parents and begging them to come. But that idea could easily backfire, causing Daphne even greater pain. He could never do that. Slowly, an idea began to form. Because this wedding was being put together so quickly, they had never discussed plans for a honeymoon. Surprising Daphne with a trip seemed perfect. A romantic getaway, just the two of them. But where? Niles considered a resort near the beach, or even somewhere warm and sunny, like California or Hawaii. The thought of lying on the beach with Daphne was a dream come true. But what if the beach turned out to be crowded? Suddenly it didn't seem so romantic anymore. Then, all at once, Niles remembered a conversation he'd had with a colleague a few months ago. The man had bought himself a cabin in the mountains. He was an avid hunter, and he'd mentioned in passing that Niles was free to borrow the place any time. But since Niles was no outdoorsman, he hadn't thought anything of it. However, the thought of being with Daphne in such a secluded place was something else entirely. With a smile on his face, Niles picked up his phone and began to dial.


	4. Chapter 4

The next day, Daphne sat across the table from Roz in the familiar Cafe Nervosa. In all the excitement, the two hadn't had much time to talk. "I hope I can find a dress I can wear by next Saturday! I've found a few I like, but none seems good enough," Daphne said.

Roz reached over and touched Daphne's arm. "Daphne, you know that you could come walking down that aisle wearing a paper bag, and Niles would think you were beautiful!"

Daphne blushed slightly at the thought. "I know that, but this is me wedding. I mean, Niles has been thinking about this for the last nine years! The last thing I'd want to do is disappoint him after all this time."

"If you ask me, you're worrying over nothing. Niles loves you," Roz said simply.

"Yes, but-" Daphne said.

"But, nothing! I'll tell Frasier we have a shopping emergency on our hands. He can do the show by himself this afternoon, and I'll take you out and find you the perfect dress. I promise. And while we're out, we can look for a dress for me, too."

Daphne could tell that Roz was not going to take 'no' for an answer. At a time like this, she was glad to have a girlfriend like Roz. "Thank you, Roz," Daphne said, smiling and squeezing her hand. "What would I ever do without you?"

Roz laughed. "Well, if you want to return the favor, you could tell your new brother-in-law that I could use a raise!"

"I'll do that," Daphne replied.

The two were quiet for a moment. Even though Niles and Daphne had been together for a while now, it was difficult for Roz to believe they were about to be married. Back when she'd first met Niles, she didn't even like him very much. And she certainly wouldn't have thought he'd end up marrying Daphne! But over the years, Niles had become a different person. Everyone knew why: it was all because of Daphne. Thanks to her, Niles had finally managed to leave a bad marriage and find happiness. Though Roz was happy for them, she wondered if the same thing would ever happen to her someday. She knew she wasn't alone in the world, of course. She had Frasier, who was like the brother she never had. And of course there was Alice. Roz had never pictured herself as a mother, but Alice was the best thing that had ever happened to her. Still, not even motherhood was enough to take the place of having a man in her life.

Daphne could tell Roz was lost in thought. Probably thinking about men, as usual. Roz was good at pretending that her life of endless boyfriends and one-night stands was enough. But Daphne knew that deep down, Roz was lonely. The thought made Daphne sad. It seemed unfair somehow that she had managed to end up practically living a fairytale, and poor Roz had no one. "If you don't really feel like going shopping today, we can do it another day," Daphne offered.

Roz smiled, knowing that Daphne knew what was on her mind. "No, Daphne, I promised we'd find you a dress, and we will!"

"Thanks," Daphne replied. "That means a lot to me." She squeezed her friend's hand again.

"Hey, if I can't walk down the aisle myself, at least I can help you look good when you do," Roz joked.

"You'll find someone," Daphne said consolingly. "Look at me. When I first moved in with Frasier, I had no idea I'd end up marrying his brother!"

"Yeah, and I never thought I'd be a mother, either," Roz said with a small sigh. "Well, we can't sit around here and talk about my life all day!" She got up, quickly laying down a few bills to cover their drinks. "Come on. Let's go shop till we drop!"


	5. Chapter 5

With Roz's help, Daphne was able to find the perfect dress. But she refused to allow Niles, or anyone else in the family to see it. Niles was able to find a small church just outside Seattle where they were able to hold the wedding. And, because the guests would only be the immediate family, Niles and Daphne decided a reception didn't really make sense. Instead, Frasier offered to cater a meal at his aprtment following the ceremony.

The night before the ceremony, Frasier and Martin ate a quiet dinner at home. It was hard to believe that in less than 24 hours, Niles and Daphne would finally be married. "I wish Niles had let me help him plan this wedding," Frasier remarked.

"Son, this is Niles and Daphne's wedding, not yours. You get to be the center of attention every day, with your radio show, and your wine club, and your operas. But this time, it's about Niles," Martin said emphatically.

"I know that, Dad. But I just assumed that when the time came for him and Daphne to take this step, Niles would want my advice."

"I know you get paid to give advice, but that's only when someone _asks_ for it," Martin said, rolling his eyes a bit.

"I know, but -" Frasier replied.

"Let me make this simple for you," Martin said. "Are you happy for your brother?"

"Of course I am!"

Martin nodded. "And you like Daphne, right?"

Frasier let out an exasperated sigh. "I love Daphne. Niles couldn't have picked anyone better."

"All right, then. That's all that matters. Look, do you think I was happy when you married Lilith the Ice Queen? But you said you were happy, so I kept my mouth shut. So just be grateful that Niles has finally picked someone who gets along with this family, and let it go. That's all Niles really wants from you. OK?"

"Yes, Dad," Frasier said reluctantly.

Martin smirked. "Maybe _I_ should be on the radio giving out advice. I'm pretty good at this!" Martin got up and walked toward the door.

"Very funny, Dad!"

"I thought so," Martin replied with a grin as he left for McGinty's.


	6. Chapter 6

Daphne spent her last night as a single woman at Roz's. This allowed her to keep her dress safe from Niles' curiosity. And, since Roz was acting as Daphne's unofficial hair stylist and makeup artist, it was also practical. After Alice was asleep, Roz and Daphne stayed up talking. Daphne would always be grateful to the Cranes for the way they'd taken her in, but nothing could take the place of having a girlfriend to confide in. "I don't know how to thank you for everything you've done for me."

"Don't worry about it," Roz scoffed. "After all the times you've baby-sat Alice, helping you get ready for your wedding is the least I can do. Besides, you don't think I'd let _Frasier_ take you dress-shopping, do you?"

Daphne laughed. "No." After a moment, she turned serious. "I just wish me family could be here. I called me mum last week and told her I was getting married. She said she hasn't been feeling too well lately, so she can't make the trip. And Dad never stays away from the pub for long."

"Who needs them?" Roz said. "If the rest of your family is like Simon, then you're better off not having them here!" Roz shuddered at the memory of Simon's unwanted advances.

"I suppose you're right," Daphne said. "Thanks." She reached over and hugged Roz tightly.

"No problem." Suddenly, Roz glanced at her watch. "We should get to bed. You know Frasier's going to want us at the church before dawn!"

Daphne laughed. "You're right. It wouldn't look good to fall asleep in the middle of me own wedding!"

The next morning, Daphne awoke and was pleased to find that she was not nearly nervous as she'd been on her previous wedding day. Of course, that was probably due to the fact she hadn't stayed up all night wondering if she was doing the right thing. There was no need; she and Niles belonged together. In a sense, this wedding was almost a formality, confirming what everyone already knew.

Roz took great care in preparing Daphne's hair and makeup. She knew this was a day everyone would remember for a long time. When she decided she'd done all she could and Daphne couldn't look more beautiful if she tried, they made their way to the church. Daphne quickly hid in a small room at the back of the church, not wanting Niles to see her until she came down the aisle. Martin soon joined her. "Daphne..." he said. "You look beautiful."

Daphne blushed. "Thank you, Martin."

"I wish Hester were here to see this. She would've loved you," Martin said.

Immediately, Daphne felt tears well up in her eyes. She kissed Martin's cheek, knowing that she couldn't speak for the lump in her throat.

Martin once again looked her over, amazed at the dress Roz had helped choose. It was not a typical bridal gown, but it was long, white, and very form fitting. Daphne's hair had been pulled up. The effect was breathtaking. Martin could hardly wait for his younger son to see her. "Are you ready?"

Daphne nodded, slipping her arm into his. This was it, the moment everyone was waiting for. Very slowly, Martin began walking Daphne out of the room and toward the aisle. Daphne knew he was worried about his hip, but she wasn't concerned. The moment she saw Niles standing near the altar in his tux, she nearly forgot to breathe. She'd always known how handsome he looked in a suit, but somehow, he looked even more so than usual.

Niles stood there, waiting for Daphne's entrance. Frasier sensed his younger brother's nervousness and reached over to squeeze his shoulder. Though he and Niles had often been competitive with one another, Frasier felt nothing but pride right now. It was strange to think that, had his own marriage to Lilith not failed, he would not have returned to Seattle, and Daphne would never have come into their lives. Frasier sighed, grateful for the way things had worked out.

Daphne and Martin made their way into the church. Niles could hardly breathe when he saw the dress she'd chosen. She looked more beautiful than he'd ever seen her, if that were even possible. Suddenly, he was flooded with memories. Holding Daphne in his arms at the Snow Ball, slow dancing on the roof of Frasier's building, driving away from her last wedding in his father's Winnebago, and so on. Each of these moments were permanently etched in his brain, as was this one. He watched his father carefully guide her down the aisle. All the while, he could not take his eyes off her. "You look...so beautiful," he whispered when Daphne was finally standing next to him.

In response, Daphne reached over, gently wiping a tear from his cheek. Niles took Daphne's hand in his, bringing it to his lips for a kiss.

The minister smiled, watching the bride and groom. He could tell these two were definitely meant to be together. "Well, let's begin the ceremony," he said, looking over the small congregation.

Niles and Daphne nodded.

"Niles, would you like to say a few words?" the preacher asked.

Niles looked over at Daphne, overwhelmed by his love for her. He took a deep breath and forced himself to speak. "Daphne, I've loved you since the very first moment I saw you. But I wasn't able to express how I felt about you right then, so I waited. And, in time, I got to know you, and we became friends. Actually, you became my _best _friend. There have been a few...obstacles along the way, but I believe they've only made us stronger. And so, here we are, in front of our friends and family, ready to join our lives once and for all. I love you, and I promise to do my very best to make you as happy as you've made me."

Daphne felt tears running down her cheeks, but she didn't care. She knew she'd never forget Niles' beautiful words as long as she lived. "When I first found out that you loved me, I couldn't believe it. Because, what could a man as wonderful as you ever see in a girl like me? But, after realizing how sweet, kind and caring you are, I couldn't help but fall in love with you, too. How could I not, when you were constantly complimenting me, listening to what I had to say, and encouraging me? No one's ever cared about me the way you have. I feel like I'm the luckiest woman on earth, marrying you. I love you more than I've ever thought possible, and I can't wait to spend the rest of me life with you."

The minister smiled, touched once again by their obvious love for one another. "Now, the rings." Frasier reached into his pocket and handed the two rings over. Niles took one ring from the minister's hand, preparing to place it on Daphne's finger. "Niles Crane, repeat after me: 'I give you this ring as a token and pledge of my constant faith and abiding love.'

"'I give you this ring as a token and pledge of my constant faith and abiding love,'" Niles dutifully repeated, looking into Daphne's beautiful eyes. He could hardly believe the love he saw there.

It was Daphne's turn. She repated the minister's words, placing the ring on Niles' finger. There was not a dry eye in the church. Even Martin and Roz found themselves wiping tears.

"I now pronounce you husband and wife," the minister announced. "You may kiss the bride!"

Niles did not need to be asked twice. He leaned over, kissing Daphne as he never had before. He could hardly believe it, Daphne was his wife! When the kiss ended, Niles and Daphne found themselves being hugged left and right.

"Congratulations," Alice said as she hugged Daphne around the waist.

"Thank you, sweetheart," Daphne replied, bending down to Alice's height. "Niles and I are so glad you came! Who knows, maybe soon we'll have a little girl for you to play with. Would you like that?"

Alice nodded excitedly, hugging Daphne once again. Daphne hugged her back, kissing Alice's cheek.

"I hate to interrupt all of this hugging," Frasier said. "But the celebration isn't over yet. There is a wonderful gourmet brunch waiting for us all back at my place!"

Martin, Roz, and Alice left the chuch quickly, eager to get over to Frasier's. This left Niles and Daphne alone in the church, since the minister had returned to his office in order to give everyone some privacy. "We're married!" Niles said excitedly. He kissed her once more time.

"Oh, Niles, I love you so much!" Daphne said, once again feeling her eyes well up.

Niles took Daphne's hands in his, feeling how soft they were. "My love, I know that Frasier is expecting us at his apartment, but first, we should stop by the Montana and pick up a few things."

Daphne looked at him, confused. "What things?"

Niles grinned. "Well, you should probably pack a suitcase, at least. One of my colleauges has a small cabin out in the woods. I thought it would be the perfect place for us to spend our honeymoon."

"Ooh, that sounds so romantic!" Daphne said, kissing him. Somehow, she had a feeling that this would only be the first in a lifetime of wonderful surprises ahead.

**The End**

A/N: Thanks to Andrea (iloveromance) for some help w/ the vows! Hope you liked this, and please review!


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